Reading Time: 4 minutes Leslie Siewert, 13, of Cayley was the junior winner in the Alberta Young Speakers for Agriculture competition (which was held as a virtual event this year). Her topic was: Lessons learned over the last 25 years of agriculture — and how we can apply it to the next 25. Agriculture is killing the planet; cows […] Read more
By working together, we can grow the world into something new
China denies ‘coercive’ diplomacy with Canada
Envoy again urges release of Huawei executive
Ottawa | Reuters — China on Thursday denied it had taken two Canadian men hostage, and repeated a call for the release of a Huawei Technologies executive held in Canada who faces extradition to the United States amid a long-running diplomatic dispute. Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, a Chinese citizen, was arrested in Vancouver […] Read more
Farmer and activist Percy Schmeiser, 89
Thorn in Monsanto's side also the subject of a new major film
Funeral services are to be held and livestreamed Saturday for Prairie farmer, businessman and activist Percy Schmeiser, best known for his ultimately unsuccessful court battles with the company behind Roundup Ready canola. Schmeiser, who farmed at Bruno, Sask., about 90 km east of Saskatoon, died Tuesday at age 89. According to Saskatchewan media, he had […] Read more
Alberta agriculture shines ‘during these tough times’
Government touts record crop production, rebound in cattle sector, and food processing
Reading Time: < 1 minute The provincial governments says “record crops and strengthened cattle prices are leading Alberta’s economic recovery.” “Crop yields are estimated to hit a new record high in Alberta with farmers harvesting more than seven per cent above what is normal,” the government said in a news release. “Livestock market sales are estimated to also reach a […] Read more
Life on The Farm shows what learning could look like in a post-pandemic world
Students at The Farm had quite a different back-to-school experience after the pandemic
Reading Time: 3 minutes After years of planning and months of hard work, The Farm — Rocky View School Division’s new alternative learning program — finally got its first batch of eager high school students out in the field, ready to get their hands dirty. But it was in February. “The first year on The Farm was horrible,” said […] Read more
BASF donation welcomed as food bank use increases
Reading Time: < 1 minute Farm Credit Canada’s Drive Away Hunger campaign got a boost from BASF Canada with a donation of 100,000 meals. “Now more than ever, our communities need our help,” said Jonathan Sweat, vice-president, Business Management, Agricultural Solutions for BASF Canada. “While a lot has changed in 2020, hunger hasn’t.” There are more than a million visits […] Read more
They ain’t making more: In land we trust — even during a pandemic
Alberta’s farmland values increased at a pace of 8.5 per cent over the past year
Reading Time: 3 minutes COVID-19 has created shockwaves across the agricultural marketplace over the past six months — but has it affected farmland prices? “So far, we’re pretty confident to say no,” said J.P. Gervais, chief agricultural economist for Farm Credit Canada. “Right now, given the data that we have, we see very little impact of the pandemic on […] Read more
Got land fever? There’s a ratio for that
Reading Time: < 1 minute It’s easy to get a case of land fever, especially when those acres are nearby and would fit nicely into your operation. But to keep things in perspective, it helps to have an objective tool for gauging affordability. In a recent article, a Farm Credit Canada economist recommends using the price-to-revenue ratio (the per-acre land […] Read more
Is curiosity something that has taken root on your farm?
There are hidden opportunities on every farm that can bring both financial and personal rewards
Reading Time: 3 minutes I was recently asked by a reader to “get back to the farm” in my column. Now there is a journey worth taking, for the farm is both my roots and my wings. The question I asked myself was: What is new in Canada on the farm? The answer was an hour away as I […] Read more
Alberta community groups receive $264,000 for projects
Reading Time: 2 minutes Fifteen Alberta community groups have received more than a quarter of a million dollars from Farm Credit Canada’s FCC AgriSpirit Fund. Nationwide, the charitable arm of the farm lender is giving $1.5 million to 92 rural community groups this year to help support capital projects. The grants, which range from $5,000 to $25,000, are for […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
